Centralised institutes (Singapore)

These are the former centralised institutions in Singapore. Except for the Millennia Institute, all the other institutes are permanently closed down.

Seletar Institute

Seletar Institute (Abbreviation: SI; Chinese: 立德高级中学) was one of the four original centralised institutes (CI) in Singapore and one of the pre-university centres in Singapore that offers a three-year curriculum leading to the Singapore Cambridge (UCLES) General Certificate of Education Advanced Level examination.

History

SI was established as Singapore's third centralised institute in 1988 and began operations with 17 members of staff and 186 students in January 1989, at the then-vacant Upper Thomson Secondary School ex-campus at 14.5 km Upper Thomson Road, opposite Springleaf estate. During the first 3 months of the pioneer batch in 1989, students spent their ECA (Extra Curricular Activities) to cut the tall wild grasses and paint the buildings. The first lecture theatre had an improvised white cloth as the projector screen - hung using strings from the four corners. There were no airconditioning and whenever the forthnightly fumigation from the Ministry of Environment came along, the students had to cover their mouth/nose with one hand and take lecture notes with the other. This was truly a "Kampung school" but one that very much retained the "Kampung spirit" which lacks in most other modern institutions of learning.

In 1990, the campus was expanded, with a new two storey block at the back of the original facility, consisting of 10 class rooms at Level 1 and 2 Lecture Theatres at Level 2. The pioneer batch students (10 classes or what was known as "Civics Tutorial Group") moved to the new block whilst the two junior batches remained at the old block. Its library, third LT and four additional classrooms was built in 1991, its fourth LT, gymnasium, weights room, fitness stations, art studio and students’ locker room in 1992 and its conference room, printing room, counselling room, resource rooms and staff lounges in 1993. Air-conditioners were installed extensively throughout campus. It underwent repainting, renovations and upgrades in 1994, with a new volleyball court and walkway to Block B from the canteen and Internet introduced in 1995. In1996, a student’s computer corner was created to facilitate students without internet access or computer. The institute received extensive funding from the Ministry of Education (MOE), which allowed the annual increment of facilities and refurbishing of most of the buildings, until when in 16 August 1995, when MOE announced that Seletar Institute will not be expecting any intake of prospective ‘A’ level students in the coming year of 1996.

Seletar Institute was a relatively advanced and sufficiently modernised pre-university centre compared to other JCs and CIs. However, all these went to waste as the institute was closed down and the campus abandoned, since 1998.

Townsville Institute

Townsville Institute (Abbreviation: TI; Chinese: 城景高级中学) was one of the four original centralised institutes (CI) in Singapore and one of the pre-university centres in Singapore that offers a three-year curriculum leading to the Singapore Cambridge (UCLES) General Certificate of Education Advanced Level examination.

The centralised institute was located at Margaret Drive in Queenstown. Due to declining number of students, the institute was forced to close. The building now houses the NIE Townsville campus.